The largest lake in Africa. Major rivers and lakes in Africa

Lake Bangweulu, in Zambia, in the upper reaches of the Luapula River (Congo River system), is located at an altitude of 1067 m. The area is from 4 thousand km² (during the dry season) to 15 thousand km² (during the summer rains). Depth up to 5 m. The shores are swampy, thickets of reeds and sedges.

Lake Bangweulu

Lake Kivu, on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, is located at an altitude of 1460 m in a basin of tectonic origin. The area is 2.7 thousand km². Depth up to 496 m. Many islands. Underwater eruptions are observed in the northern part of the Kivu. Flow along the Ruzizi River into Lake Tanganyika. There is shipping. The main ports are Bukavu, Goma, Kibuye.

Lake Kivu

Lake Mai Ndombe, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the Congo Basin. Area 2325 km² (during the rainy season 8200 km²). Depth 2.5-7 m. Flow in the Fimi River, tributary - the Kasai River. There is shipping and fishing.

Lake Mai Ndombe

Lake Mweru, in the system of the Congo River (Zaire), is located in a tectonic depression on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. The area is 5.2 thousand km². Depth up to 15 m. There is fishing. The lake is navigable.

Lake Mweru

Lake Nyasa, in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. Located in a tectonic depression. The area is 30.8 thousand km², the depth is up to 706 m. The flow along the Shire River into the Zambezi River. There is fishing. Navigable.

Lake Nyasa

Lake Tana(Tsana, Dembea), in Ethiopia, located at an altitude of 1830 m. Area 3100-3600 km². Depth up to 70 m. Many islands. A number of rivers flow in, the Abbay River flows out. There is fishing.

Lake Tana

Lake Tanganyika, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi. It is located in a tectonic basin at an altitude of 773 m. The area is 34 thousand km², the depth is up to 1470 m (the second deepest after Baikal). Flow along the Lukuga River into the Lualaba River. There is fishing and shipping. Main ports: Kigoma, Bujumbura, Kalima.

Lake Tanganyika

Lake Chad, an endorheic slightly brackish lake in Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon. The area is from 10 to 26 thousand km² (during the wet season), the depth is 4-11 m. The Shari and Komadugu-Yobe rivers flow into it. There is fishing.

Lake Chad

Lakes in Africa. East End.

Lake Victoria, in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Located in the tectonic trough of the East African platform, at an altitude of 1134 m, the second largest freshwater lake in the world. The area is 68 thousand km², the length is 320 km, the maximum width is 275 km, the depth is 80 m. It is part of the Victoria Reservoir. There are many islands. Discovered in 1858 by the English traveler J. Speke. Named after the Queen of Great Britain.

Lake Victoria

Lake Kyoga, in Uganda, an area of ​​​​2.6 thousand km², a depth of 3-5 m. Thickets of reeds and papyrus. The Victoria Nile flows through Kyoga.

Lake Kyoga

Lake Rudolph, a drainless brackish lake in Kenya. It is located in a tectonic depression at an altitude of 375 m. The lake is 265 km long, up to 50 km wide, with an area of ​​8.5 thousand km². The average depth is 73 m. The maximum depth is 120 m.

Lake Rudolph


The African Great Lakes are several large lakes located in and around the East African Rift Valley. Includes Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, and Tanganyika, the second deepest and second largest in the world. List of lakes: Tanganyika, Victoria, Albert, Edward, Kivu, Malawi.
Some include only the Victoria, Albert and Edward lakes among the Great Lakes, since only these three lakes have a drain into the White Nile. Tanganyika and Kivu drain into the Congo River system, while Malawi flows into the Zambezi via the Shire River.

Victoria, Victoria Nyanza, Ukerewe (Victoria, Victoria Nyanza) - a lake in East Africa, in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. It is located in the tectonic trough of the East African Platform, at an altitude of 1134 m. The 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Superior and the largest lake in Africa.
The area is 68 thousand square kilometers, the length is 320 km, the maximum width is 275 km. It is part of the Victoria Reservoir. Lots of islands. The high-water Kagera River flows in, the Victoria Nile River flows out. The lake is navigable, the locals are engaged in fishing on it.
The northern coast of the lake crosses the equator. The lake with a maximum depth of 80 m belongs to fairly deep lakes.
Unlike its deep-water neighbors, Tanganyika and Nyasa, which lie within the gorge system of Africa, Lake Victoria fills a shallow depression between the eastern and western sides of the Great Gorge valley. The lake receives a huge amount of water from the rains, more than from all its tributaries.
A huge number of crocodiles live in its waters, and the lang fish (fish), which lived here 300 million years ago, still lives here. She can inhale and retain air in the gills, as in the lungs. This rarest fish is the link between ordinary fish and land animals.

Lake Chad (Tchad, Chad, in Arabic Bar es Salaam) is a drainless relict lake located in central Africa. Located at an altitude of 240 m above sea level.
The surface of the lake is not constant: usually occupying about 27 thousand square meters. km, the lake in the rainy season spills up to 50 thousand, and in the dry season it is reduced to 11 thousand square meters. km. From the south, the Shari rivers with a wide and shallow delta and the Mbulu flow into the lake, from the west - the Komadugu-Vaube, and from the east - the low-water Bar el-Ghazal. According to Nachtigal, the flow of water through rains and rivers is 100 cubic meters. km, and the loss of water through evaporation is 70 cubic meters. km. In view of the absence of a visible source of water from the lake, while the water of the lake remains fresh, Nachtigal suggests the existence of an underground channel in a northeasterly direction to Aegea and Borku. Near the mouths of the rivers, the water in the lake is fresh, in the rest of it it is slightly brackish; the insignificance of mineralization is apparently due to the constant change of water in the lake due to the underground outflow of infiltration waters. In a very rainy season (which happens extremely rarely), with extraordinary high water levels, a temporary surface runoff of the lake is formed in the northeast (along the dry channel of the Bahr el-Ghazal). The dark, dirty water of the lake is thickly overgrown with algae in places. From July to November, under the influence of rains, the water level gradually rises and the low southwestern coast is widely flooded almost to Cook. Over a considerable area, the lake is very shallow (here you can ford it on horseback); the western part near Ngornu and Maduari is distinguished by great depth. The maximum depth during the rainy season is 11 meters. The shores are mostly swampy and overgrown with papyrus; to the northeast, the terrain has the character of a steppe, and only the southern coast is distinguished by rich tropical vegetation.
In the eastern part, the lake is covered with a network of islets (up to 100 in number), of which the Buduma, Karka and Kuri groups are inhabited (up to 30 thousand people) by people from neighboring tribes (Buduma, Kuri, Kanemba, Kanuri, Bulala and Dats).
In 2006, a lake with an area of ​​23,000 square kilometers, located on the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and the Republic of Chad, decreased by 26 times and continues to dry up, which became known thanks to the monitoring of the Earth, carried out by the international system Disaster Monitoring Constellation. It is known that Chad dries up for the seventh time in the last millennium. Scientists - paleontologists have established this by the remains of animals found there.

Information
photo from the site

LAKES OF AFRICA
The largest lakes in Africa:

Name	Area km sq.	Maximum depth m
victoria lake
Tanganyika lake
Nyasa lake
chad lake
Rudolph lake
Albert (Mobutu-Sese-Seko) lake
Mveru lake
bangweulu lake
tana lake
kivu lake
kyoga lake
Rukwa Lake
Mai Ndombe Lake
edward lake

Great African lakes- several large lakes located in and around the East African Rift Zone. Includes Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world, and Tanganyika, the second deepest and second largest in the world. List of lakes: Tanganyika, Victoria, Albert, Edward, Kivu, Malawi.
Some include only the Victoria, Albert and Edward lakes among the Great Lakes, since only these three lakes have a drain into the White Nile. Tanganyika and Kivu drain into the Congo River system, while Malawi flows into the Zambezi via the Shire River.

Tanganyika- a large lake in Central Africa, the coordinates of the central part - 5 ° 30 S. sh. 29°30 in. (G).
In terms of volume and depth, Lake Tanganyika ranks second after Lake Baikal. The shores of the lake belong to four countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.
The lake is about 650 km long and 40-80 km wide. The area is 34 thousand sq. km. Lies at an altitude of 773 meters above sea level in the tectonic basin of the East African Rift Zone.
The lake is home to hippos, crocodiles, and a lot of waterfowl. Fishing and shipping are well developed.

Victoria, Victoria Nyanza, Ukerewe (Victoria, Victoria Nyanza) - a lake in East Africa, on the territory of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. It is located in the tectonic trough of the East African Platform, at an altitude of 1134 m. The 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world after Lake Superior and the largest lake in Africa.
The area is 68 thousand square kilometers, the length is 320 km, the maximum width is 275 km. It is part of the Victoria Reservoir. Lots of islands. The high-water Kagera River flows in, the Victoria Nile River flows out. The lake is navigable, the locals are engaged in fishing on it.
The northern coast of the lake crosses the equator. The lake with a maximum depth of 80 m belongs to fairly deep lakes.
Unlike its deep-water neighbors, Tanganyika and Nyasa, which lie within the gorge system of Africa, Lake Victoria fills a shallow depression between the eastern and western sides of the Great Gorge valley. The lake receives a huge amount of water from the rains, more than from all its tributaries.
A huge number of crocodiles live in its waters, and the lang fish (fish), which lived here 300 million years ago, still lives here. She can inhale and retain air in the gills, as in the lungs. This rarest fish is the link between ordinary fish and land animals.

Malawi(Nyasa) is a lake in Central East Africa. The lake runs from north to south, the length is 560 km, the depth is 706 m. The northern and eastern shores are steep with a poorly developed shelf, the southern and western coasts are flat. Water losses occur from surface evaporation (80%) and from the waters of the Sheri River flowing out in the south of the lake. Climatically expressed two seasons: rainy (November - May) and dry (May - November).

Lake Chad(Tchad, Chad, in Arabic Bar es Salaam) is an endorheic relict lake located in central Africa. Located at an altitude of 240 m above sea level.
The surface of the lake is not constant: usually occupying about 27 thousand square meters. km, the lake in the rainy season spills up to 50 thousand, and in the dry season it is reduced to 11 thousand square meters. km. From the south, the Shari rivers with a wide and shallow delta and the Mbulu flow into the lake, from the west - the Komadugu-Vaube, and from the east - the low-water Bar el-Ghazal. According to Nachtigal, the flow of water through rains and rivers is 100 cubic meters. km, and the loss of water through evaporation is 70 cubic meters. km. In view of the absence of a visible source of water from the lake, while the water of the lake remains fresh, Nachtigal suggests the existence of an underground channel in a northeasterly direction to Aegea and Borku. Near the mouths of the rivers, the water in the lake is fresh, in the rest of it it is slightly brackish; the insignificance of mineralization is apparently due to the constant change of water in the lake due to the underground outflow of infiltration waters. In a very rainy season (which happens extremely rarely), with extraordinary high water levels, a temporary surface runoff of the lake is formed in the northeast (along the dry channel of the Bahr el-Ghazal). The dark, dirty water of the lake is thickly overgrown with algae in places. From July to November, under the influence of rains, the water level gradually rises and the low southwestern coast is widely flooded almost to Cook. Over a considerable area, the lake is very shallow (here you can ford it on horseback); the western part near Ngornu and Maduari is distinguished by great depth. The maximum depth during the rainy season is 11 meters. The shores are mostly swampy and overgrown with papyrus; to the northeast, the terrain has the character of a steppe, and only the southern coast is distinguished by rich tropical vegetation.
In the eastern part, the lake is covered with a network of islets (up to 100 in number), of which the Buduma, Karka and Kuri groups are inhabited (up to 30 thousand people) by people from neighboring tribes (Buduma, Kuri, Kanemba, Kanuri, Bulala and Dats).
In 2006, a lake with an area of ​​23,000 square kilometers, located on the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and the Republic of Chad, decreased by 26 times and continues to dry up, which became known thanks to the monitoring of the Earth, carried out by the international system Disaster Monitoring Constellation. It is known that Chad dries up for the seventh time in the last millennium. Scientists - paleontologists have established this by the remains of animals found there.

Assal- crater lake in the center of Djibouti. The lake lies 155 m below sea level in the Afar Lowland, the lowest point in Africa. The salinity of the lake is 35%, it is the most saline lake in the world. The lake is surrounded by a dense saline layer of soil. Salt is mined and sent by caravans to Ethiopia.

World of travel

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13.05.16 12:17

For those who have never been to the Black Continent, Africa is associated with the Sahara desert (and other badlands), the pyramids of Egypt, the savannas and the picturesque Serengeti reserve with its diverse fauna. For some reason, we lose sight of the beautiful lakes of Africa - this is also one of the riches of the continent. Let's talk about them.

The most beautiful lakes in Africa: where to go

Deepest in the world

This lake, located in the Great Rift Valley, has two names - Malawi and Nyasa, it is one of the largest in Africa. In the list of the deepest lakes in the world, Nyasa ranks third - after our Baikal and Tanganyika. The reservoir is not the property of any one country, the lake is located in the territories of Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. It is part of the national park of the same name. The shores enchant with their scenery, and swimming in aquamarine waters teeming with outlandish fish is a real pleasure.

And here is Tanganyika, second in depth only to Baikal and considered the longest on the mainland (it stretches across the expanses of Tanzania, Zambia, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo). One of the popular local crafts is catching fish for the aquarium hobby. Tanganyika can be proud of its rich fauna - in addition to exotic fish, crocodiles, hippos, various mollusks and crustaceans live in it, colonies of waterfowl settle here.

The color wonder of Senegal

You have probably met this Senegalese miracle in the ratings of colored lakes. We are used to turquoise, blue, almost transparent, emerald waters of rivers and lakes, and Retba has such a pronounced pink color! It has long been proven that the color is due to unicellular algae of the species Dunaliella salina. These crumbs settle only in very salty waters. Here in Retba there is a large concentration of salt, so the locals have something to do. They extract salt of an unusual pinkish hue from the bottom of the lake and sell it.

If you happen to visit Zimbabwe, don't forget to visit the lake called Kariba. This is one of the most charming places in the country - especially for those who love and appreciate natural beauties. It is very pleasant to spend a few days of vacation in such amazing scenery - pretty houses of different degrees of comfort are scattered along the banks.

Great and dangerous

The most beautiful lakes in Africa include Kivu, located on the border of Rwanda and the Congo. As for Rwanda, its inhabitants do not suffer at all from the lack of access to the sea: sandy beaches and turquoise-clear waters of the Kivu compensate for this. Ride a boat and enjoy the views, dramatic sunsets - it's so great! On the other hand, it is better not to meddle in some places of the lake: methane and carbon dioxide emissions occur there (due to underwater volcanoes).

Rugged lagoons and a sea of ​​salt

Experts call Lake Assal the best holiday destination in the small republic of Djibouti, located in East Africa. The lake is rather shallow, but its indented banks (it is the lowest place on the continent) and lagoons are very beautiful. Assal, nestled in the center of the state, boasts a high salt concentration (350%).

Alpine tandem

The duo of lakes Rutundu and Alice are high-altitude reservoirs (they are located on the slopes of Mount Kenya at an altitude of about 3 km above sea level). If you have a good physical condition, then you can easily reach these African lakes on foot. Otherwise, you will be taken there by helicopter. The places around the lake tandem seem so wild that you will feel like a pioneer.

The largest in the country

But this is not only beautiful, but also the largest lake in Africa (by area). In addition, it is the largest lake in the world, located in the tropics. The coasts of Victoria span Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Boat trips - especially at sunset - on the lake can turn into a journey into a fairy tale. The waters of Victoria are full of fish, crocodiles are found, the coast also boasts a rich fauna (from giraffes, mongooses and pythons to elephants and chimpanzees and rhinos). Here is the Rubondo Nature Reserve, which can only be traveled on foot.

fairytale oasis

The incredible landscape of the shores of Lake Umm al-Maa will make anyone, even the most experienced naturalist, admire. This is an oasis lake that has arisen in the middle of the sand dunes of the great Libyan desert. The desert landscape reflected in the waters adds even more mystery and charm to the area - it seems to be just a mirage! It is clear that the water in Umm Al Maa is always very warm, so swimming will be a real pleasure for you.

At the foot of the Dragon Mountains

Another beautiful lake in Africa - Naveron - is located at the foot of the southern spurs of the Dragon Mountains. This is one of the pearls of South Africa, far from civilization and the bustle of the modern world. Cottages and small houses are built on the shores of the lake, where you can relax, enjoying the views of the lake and the extraordinary tranquility that reigns in the foothills.

Home for pink flamingos

In addition to the majestic and full-flowing Victoria in Kenya, there are several others, smaller, but with their own twist. These include the decoration of the Rift Valley Lake Nakuru, around which one of the Kenyan national parks is formed. The bewitching landscape, and most importantly, the thousands of flamingos that have chosen these places, make the lake magically beautiful. After admiring the shores, you will understand how they attract birds. Thanks to the flamingos, the lake seems to be shrouded in a pink haze.

The list of the most beautiful lakes in Africa is completed by another Kenyan miracle - Lake Bogoria. It is known for its geysers, which erupt fountains of boiling water to a height of up to five meters (this phenomenon is not at all typical for Africa). And here, as well as on Nakuru, a huge population of flamingos lives. So if you want to see both geysers and these birds at the same time, explore the surroundings of Bogoria well.